Excluding Holmes and Ruddock, who was the best boxer that Mike Tyson defeated?

At the time ('86 -'89) after Holmes defeat by Spinks, everyone (including Spinks) was just a stopover for Mike Tyson.
I like Tucker, because he stayed on his feet after the fights with Tyson and Lewis, both prime.

 

Tony Tucker, he was unbeaten and had never been stopped or knocked down.

 

Spinks was good but i always thought Holmes beat him clearly in their rematch.

 

Pinklon Thomas

 

Spinks.

But Biggs, Thomas and Tucker were terrific boxers before Tyson ruined them. Heck Tubbs had quite significantly faster hands than any heavy I’ve seen since including Roy Jones.

 

Spinks was definitely an incredible win that wasn't given it's due as the years passed.

Some regard Spinks as being "blown up Light Heavyweight" and the decisiveness of the loss as proof that he was never a worthy contender.

Physically, Spinks was 3 inches taller and 6 lbs lighter. For comparison Berbick was 3 inches taller and 3 lbs lighter when he faced Tyson. So the difference in size wasn't all that big but had Spinks stuck around and faced some other noteworthy contenders like Damiani or Norris in late 88 or early 89 and beat them (which was possible) the win looks very different in hindsight.

 

Tyson kind of suffered from his own success. He was simply too good for a lot of those opponents and thus, he lacks "signature wins".

Spinks is a perfect example because on paper you could argue he was Tyson's best opponent. But Tyson was a fast starter, hit like a truck, and overwhelmed the more technical and smaller spinx who had no answer for the early onslaught. Lifting weight and bulking up eating didn't change the fact the guy was a skinny light heavyweight who lacked the physicality to hang with true heavies. But that was easily a top 3 win for Tyson due to Spinks status as an undefeated lineal champion with great p4p skill and technique.

I would say you could have spinks and Holmes interchangeable for 1-2 in terms of "caliber/credentials", then probably Thomas/Tucker/Ruddock interchangeable for 3-5.

 

He beat Holmes twice and Cooney too. I don't think he lacked the physicality to hang with real heavyweights.

 

Tyrell Biggs was a great talent. Unbeaten gold medalist, never the same after Tyson took him out.

 

I used to think that, but he was pretty much the same guy for Damiani but lost on a cut when the fight was still heating up. After that fight, he was much worse.

 

the whole stretch from Berbick until losing in Tokyo is just very impressive. i've been known to be critical of Tyson, but none of those guys were an easy night's work for most any other fighter and Tyson dominated them all. even if we are to believe that Spinks and Holmes just showed up for paydays, Tucker Thomas Bruno Biggs etc. all definitely came to win and were beaten thoroughly.

 

Everybody Tyson fought was tough to beat. Smith, Tucker, Biggs, Thomas, Tubbs, Berbeck, Williams, Bruno, Holmes, Spinks...all of them were big, most were powerful and some were extremely fast. Arguably the toughest competition any heavyweight champ had faced.